wiredmikey writes: The Internet's supply of IPv4 addresses is quickly running out, setting the clock ticking on the final exhaustion of the Internet numbering plan that the world has used for over three decades. Expected to occur in March of 2011, the event will be a wake-up call for connected organizations everywhere. It is clearer than ever before that IPv6 transition plans are urgently needed. Once all IPv4 addresses are depleted, organizations will only be able to receive IPv6 address space.

If you haven't started to work on an IPv6 strategy yet, you're probably behind the curve. IPv6 was designed largely to solve the IP address exhaustion problem. It exponentially increases the amount of address space available to Internet-connected devices. IPv4 addresses, which are represented by a 32-bit number, enables a mere 4,294,967,296 (4.3 billion) IP addresses. IPv6 uses 128 bits, allowing 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 (340 trillion trillion trillion) addresses.

The inevitable switchover to IPv6 has been anticipated for a long time, but the cutover is imminent. When the IANA runs out of IPv4 addresses, headlines will be created, even more awareness will be raised. CIOs who have not planned IPv6 transition plans as part of their strategic agenda must act now, or risk the entire enterprise online.